You can go through the immigration process all by yourself, right? In some cases, this may be true. If you are knowledgeable in law, have experience with English language, and have the time to study, you can sometimes do without an immigration lawyer.

The problem is you’ll have stacks of papers to fill out, you’ll eventually deal with legal professionals and if you make a mistake it might slow the process,  and by the end of the process you’ll have lost a lot of time you could have spent elsewhere. For students, business men and women, and those who have poor English skills, hiring an immigration lawyer is smart and worthwhile.

How much does an immigration lawyer cost? The best way to find out is to contact several professional immigration lawyers and ask basic rates. For the time involved and the benefits you get, it’s more than worth it.

So how do you hire an immigration lawyer? Let’s find out.

Get References From Your Immigration Lawyer
Before you start contacting immigration lawyers, you should ask family, friends, and colleagues what they suggest. If someone successfully immigrated to the U.S. and received a green card, or if they became a U.S. citizen, their immigration lawyer should be on your list. Also, if you’re proficient online–likely if you’re reading this–many top immigration lawyers have sites and blogs showcasing how they can help you.

Study American Immigration Lawyers Association to Hire a Lawyer
This association, the AILA, of professional immigration lawyers and attorneys can truly help you narrow down your list to the most experience. Some immigration lawyers are not a member of this association, but that does not always mean they’re poor lawyers. If you were recommended an immigration lawyer by a friend or found one online with a lot of success in helping immigrants, they should still be on your shortlist.

Interview Prospective Immigration Lawyers
The next step after recommendation and studying top sites and associations is to create a short list. This list helps narrow down the immigration lawyers and attorneys who you feel are good fits. You want a lawyer who can help you directly with your main goal. If you’re unsure whether you’re eligible for U.S. citizenship, or if you want a green card, you can hire one who specializes in those cases. If you or a loved one does not speak English, you might hire a lawyer with other language skills.

How Much Do They Charge?
Immigration law is a specialized industry with a lot of competition for your business. Be picky in hiring a lawyer of any kind no matter what country you are in. If you want to immigrate to the U.S., follow the above steps, and then start asking prices. Some lawyers will likely be out of your price range immediately. Just remember how valuable this process can be.

Hiring an Immigration Lawyer – The Final Step
If you have a “winner” for your immigration lawyer, be sure to check their credentials. You can check the background of any immigration lawyer at the local state bar.

Immigration law experts are now noting a new way for immigrants to illegally get into the U.S.,through the student visa. The student visa has become a headline again with reports across the web and newspapers about how crime rings were being hired to take immigrant proficiency exams and classes for immigrants in need of student visas so they could stay in the U.S.

After 9/11, immigration authorities took clear action on stopping such occurrences. In fact, one of the Sept. 11 hijackers involved in the attacks used  a student visa to enter the U.S.

Rings involved in illegally obtaining U.S. student visas have been broken up in recent months across the country, including  Florida, California, and Georgia.

What exactly were they doing? These rings were operated to keep student visas for immigrants. The criminals would take tests, do immigration paperwork, attend classes in the immigrant’s name, write term papers, and guaranteed passing grades. This has been termed as a new illegal way to easily pass through checks and come into the United States.

It should be said, these rings were not involved in terrorism activities, at least early reports are stating that. But they are showing another flaw in how U.S. immigration laws are keeping certain immigrants out of the country.

What does this mean for U.S. immigrants today? Why use student visas to enter the country illegally?

Non-immigrant student visas are given to aspiring students hoping to study at an American academic institution, language training program, or a vocational school approved by the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). Actually being accepted into one of these schools is just the start. While getting a student visas is far from impossible, with new laws, and news items such the aforementioned, it’s tougher.

You can get two types of student visas–a visa for a college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, or a visa for a language training program. In some cases, you can also get a visa for pursuing nonacademic or vocational schools.

You need to be accepted. As a foreign national, you must show you’ve been accepted into a U.S. school or program of some kind.  In most cases, you must prove an ability to speak proper English. This is important as the classes will be taught in English, and does not concern actual nationality. Once you’ve proven you are eligible for education, you must prove you have the money to pay for the U.S. school.

A student visa is clearly one way to live in the United States. It’s one step closer to proving you can become a U.S. citizen. Be clear on all the laws involved in applying for a U.S. visa, never put yourself in a position to be deported from the country, and if you have questions contact an immigration lawyer for counsel.